• Prudence Wing Hang Cheung, Carlos King Ho Wong, Sin Ting Lau, and Jason Pui Yin Cheung.
• *Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China †Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
• Spine. 2017 Jun 13.

Study DesignProspective questionnaire translation and validation.ObjectiveTo translate and cross-culturally adapt the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Cervical Myelopathy Evaluation Questionnaire (JOACMEQ) into Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong); and to assess its validity, reliability and sensitivity for differentiating cervical myelopathy (CM) and presence of acute neck/shoulder pain.Summary Of Background DataCM frequently presents with various symptoms affecting patients' quality of life. Hence, a patient-oriented instrument like JOACMEQ is necessary to assess patient-perceived outcomes of CM treatment.MethodsThe English version of JOACMEQ was translated and adapted using double forward and single backward translations. The translated JOACMEQ was administered to patients with suspected CM, followed by the Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong) version of the Neck Disability Index (NDI), EuroQol five-dimension five-level (EQ-5D-5L), and Short Form-12 version 2 (SF-12v2) questionnaires. Construct validity of the domains were assessed using Spearman's correlation test against domains with similar constructs. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. Sensitivity of the adapted JOACMEQ was determined by known group comparisons.ResultsA total of 100 patients were recruited. Psychometric testing of the translated JOACMEQ demonstrated an excellent overall internal consistency with Cronbach's α> 0.9, and good internal consistency of Lower Extremity Function (0.823) and Quality of Life (0.875) domains. Score of all domains of the translated JOACMEQ had significant correlations (p < 0.01-0.05) with nearly all domains of SF-12v2 and with both NDI and EQ-5D-5L scores. JOACMEQ was sensitive in detecting differences (p < 0.001) between subjects who had CM and those without, and also between those patients with/without CM experiencing current neck/shoulder pain.ConclusionsOur translated JOACMEQ has satisfactory psychometric properties, including adequate clinical and construct validity, and internal consistency in patients with suspected/diagnosed CM and can differentiate between those with/without pain. It is demonstrated as a sensitive outcome measure for CM and neck/shoulder pain.Level Of Evidence2.

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